The Adventures of Prince Achmed & Lotte Reiniger Fairytale Films: South West Silents
Sun 26 Jul
|Cinema Rediscovered (Watershed, Bristol)
Time & Location
26 Jul 2026, 10:00 – 11:50
Cinema Rediscovered (Watershed, Bristol), 1 Canon's Rd, Bristol BS1 5TX, UK
About the Event
Three years in the making, and worth every moment, Lotte Reiniger’s beautiful 1926 silhouette animation, The Adventures of Prince Achmed, brings to life magical tales from the Arabian Nights. The earliest surviving animated feature film – preserved in the BFI National Archive – it has been hailed as one of the world’s most innovative and influential animations.
Handsome young Prince Achmed is brave and eager for adventure, so when the most powerful sorcerer in the world challenges him to fly a magic horse, Achmed plunges headlong into a series of exciting escapades that take him from Baghdad to China and through the enchanted spirit lands of Wak-Wak.
Made by card cut entirely by hand, and manipulated using sheets of lead joined by wires, Reiniger’s exquisite shadow characters move intricately through colourful worlds of demons, witches, beautiful princesses and flying castles. Her incredible talent and creativity have greatly influenced animation and…